Should you sell a car yourself or trade it in? You know you can get more money selling a car yourself, but is that your best option and how exactly do you do it? In today’s Service For Life!® Free consumer newsletter you’ll learn if doing it on your own is worth it, along with steps to take sell your vehicle for every dollar it’s worth while staying safe from crooks.

P.S. When you notice people talking about real estate in the next few weeks, can you tell them about the free consumer information I provide?

They may be people you meet who were relocated and are looking to buy a home this summer. Tell them about my Free Consumer Report: "8 Secrets For Saving Thousands When Finding, Buying and Financing Your Next Home" and give them my phone number - 602-739-0095. Or, you can always request a copy for a friend by clicking here to email me.

Today's Brain Teaser . . .

What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?

(see answer below)

How To Sell Your Own Car

Many people just trade in their old vehicle instead of selling it, but you could likely make more money if you sell it yourself – money you can use for your next vehicle. Ask yourself these four questions before deciding if you should sell the car on your own:

Do you have the time and money to make sure it’s in tip-top shape? Your vehicle should be in good working order, cleaned, records collected, and any maintenance such as oil changes should be up to date.

Do you have the time to wait for a good buyer? Your car may sell in a few days, but it could also take several weeks or months.

Are you available to let potential buyers take the car for a test drive? Safety experts recommend always meeting people in a public place, never at your home, and it’s best to also have a friend with you.

Do you feel comfortable negotiating your final price? Ask for about 10% more than you want to allow negotiating room with the buyer.

If you answered “Yes” to all of the questions above – here’s how to get your car ready to sell:

Take your car to a mechanic and have a thorough inspection. That way, you’ll know what needs to be fixed to get top dollar.

Get your vehicle detailed. You should make the cost back in the increase in price you can receive by having your car looking its best.

Price your car using www.kbb.com (click on “Car Values”) or check AutoTrader.com or Cars.com. Enter your zip code and price vehicles with similar miles, wear and tear, and appearance as your car.

List your car for sale at the same websites you used to check car values, or post an ad free on www.craigslist.org.

After agreeing on a sales price, ask for a cashier’s check when you sell the car to make sure you aren’t being cheated.

Fill out a “Bill of Sale” form, which you can get for free at DMV.org, transfer the title of the car to the buyer, cancel your car insurance and remove the license plates if necessary, and also complete a “Release of Liability,” if required, to change ownership (get this form at your motor vehicle department).

Did you know there’s a free consumer report revealing ways to save time and money when buying a home? It’s called “8 Secrets For Saving Thousands When Finding and Buying Your Next Home,” and it’s great even if you’re not planning to buy soon. To request your copy, email me by clicking here.

Avoid Disease When Traveling

Preparing and planning for your trip can be part of the fun, but “What if I get sick?” You can help prevent those not-so-fun memories by following some advice from expert travelers.

Before you travel: Help your immune system prepare to fight off bugs. It’s not proven that supplements prevent illness, but taking vitamin C or probiotics may help build your immune system. Get 8 hours of sleep each night the week before your trip – don’t stay up late packing. Pack hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, socks to wear through airport security lines, and a shawl or jacket to stay warm if you can’t control the temperature. It’s always a good idea to pack your own clean travel pillow too.

During your trip: It’s no surprise public areas like airports, train stations, and bus depots are full of germs. If you sit down, you can sanitize your seat with a disinfecting wipe. On a plane or bus, point air conditioning vents so air flows in front of your face toward the floor. This can help keep germs away from your mouth and nose. Sanitize your hands during your trip any time you touch something that many people have touched before you – in-flight magazines, tray tables, and the bathroom door of course.

Food/water safety: Travelers often get sick when eating food in new places, mostly because their systems aren’t used to local microbes or bacteria. Check CDC.gov to see if the area you’re visiting has any outbreaks. Avoid raw fruits and vegetables that may be washed with tap water (peel and wash fruit yourself), make sure all meats are well cooked, and try to stay away from food vendors in the streets. Buy bottled water for tooth-brushing and face-washing, and when abroad drink water that’s been heated, like hot tea and coffee.

Would You Like To Know How Much Your
Neighbor’s Home Listed Or Sold For?

Maybe you’re just curious. Or maybe you want to know how much your home is worth. Either way, I can help…with no “sales pitches” or run-arounds. Call me at 602-739-0095 and I’ll give you all the facts.

Fun Facts and Laughs

5 Time-Saving Tips For Meal Planning . . .

Do you look in your refrigerator before meal-time and have no idea what’s for dinner? You’ll be less stressed by shopping purposefully, saving you lots of time wandering aisles and making impulse purchases. Try these ideas and simplify meal planning:

Pick a recipe/shopping day. Open your cookbooks and find your favorite recipe website: try allrecipes.com, thekitchn.com, and cooks.com. Write down one or two meals each day for the week, and make a list of all of your ingredients so you only need to make one trip.

Try a theme for your week. You can make each week similar with a soup night, a pasta night, or maybe a vegetarian night. It can be easier to know you’ll need one soup recipe, one pasta, and one whatever-you-choose when planning.

Check with your household about what they want or like. Get everyone involved and have them help with shopping and prep.

Save your recipes in one place. It can be a folder on your computer, or a website like MyRecipes.com. Or, use an app such as Epicurious or AllRecipes Dinner Spinner (both available on Android or iPhone).

Cook what you can ahead of time, and prep when you return from the store. You can roast a big batch of veggies for two meals during the week, or chop all the lettuce for dishes like salads and tacos.

www.LinkedIn.com – A top website for professional networking advice and career opportunities. Post your resume, meet people in your field, and share articles or information with people you connect with.

www.Indeed.com – Find jobs from thousands of company websites and job boards with a simple, easy-to-use search page.

A recent study found that people who eat fast eat about 50% more at meals than people who take their time. Eating involves two hormones, one that increases your appetite (as you start to eat, it declines) and one that suppresses your appetite (after you start to eat it increases). If you eat too fast, you don’t give these hormones time to work. Meals should take around 20 minutes for the hormones to do their jobs and to prevent you from eating too much and feeling too full.

Every month I choose a very special Client Of The Month. It’s my way of acknowledging good friends and saying “thanks” to those who support me and my business with referrals, word of mouth and repeat business.

A big thank you to Discount Laptop Shop for their continuing referral network during their relocation of the company from Connecticut. I am pleased to be of service to you all and to meet all of your great employees moving to our Valley from back East.

You might be my next Client Of The Month too! Watch for your name here in an upcoming month.

Trivia Challenge for the Month...

“Who Else Wants To Win Two Free Movie Tickets?”

Guess who won last month's Trivia Question? I'm pleased to announce the lucky winner of last month's quiz. And the winner is...drum roll please: Kathryn Jones & Sandi Thompson was the first person to correctly answer my quiz question.

What’s the name of the dog on the Cracker Jack box?

a) Bingo b) Rover c) Jack d) Fido

The answer is a) Bingo. The boy that appears on the Cracker Jack label next to Bingo is Sailor Jack. Let’s move on to this month's trivia question.

EMAIL ME BY:Clicking Here OR Call Me At 602-739-0095And You Could Be One Of My Next Winners!

Brain Teaser Answer:

A palm tree!

Thanks For Thinking of Me!

Did you know I can help you or any of your friends or family save time and money when buying or selling a home? Thanks for keeping me in mind with your referrals...and spreading the word about my services.

Real Estate Q & A . . .

Q. What do buyers really want when looking for a house?

A. Here are ways to tap into what every buyer wants:

Every buyer wants a place to call “home.” The decision to buy is emotional, not logical. Buyers look at a “house,” but they’re really evaluating it for its potential to become their home. Properly staging your house allows buyers to have an emotional experience – seeing their family living there.

Every buyer wants a bargain. Subtly influence buyers by using such phrases as “priced to sell” or “a unique bargain at this price.”

Every buyer wants to claim special discounts. You can motivate a sale by creating a sense of urgency. Consider using special terms that expire on a fixed date.

Want to learn more secrets about how to sell your home fast and for the most money? Call and ask for my Free Consumer Report called “6 Steps For Selling Your Home For TOP DOLLAR.” I’ll send a copy right over to you.

Do you have a real estate question you want answered? Feel free to call me at 602-739-0095 or email me by clicking here. Perhaps I’ll feature it in my next issue!

THANK YOU... for reading my Service For Life!® personal newsletter. I wanted to produce a newsletter that has great content and is fun and valuable to you. Help your friends get more out of life by forwarding this email to them...

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this email is intended for informational purposes. It should not substitute as legal, accounting, investment, medical or other professional services advice. Always seek a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. This email is not intended to solicit real estate properties currently for sale.